


And yet we still gaze Ahead

by Soggychan



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Emotional, F/F, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27090856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soggychan/pseuds/Soggychan
Summary: On their last visit to Uranohoshi, Chika and Yoshiko have a talk on the roof.Something of an alternate to S2E13 when they go back to explore the school one more time.
Relationships: Takami Chika & Tsushima Yoshiko, Takami Chika/Tsushima Yoshiko
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	And yet we still gaze Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> I'll keep my mini rant for the end.
> 
> Enjoy.

Everybody had split up into their groups to explore the school, but after a bit, Chika slipped away from You and Riko. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to share that moment with them, but she wanted some time to think. Now that everything was finally sinking it, it felt like a whole new wave of both relief and worry washed over her. She slowly climbed the steps towards the roof, the place where she had spent so many days practicing to save the school. Even if they had failed in the end, she felt some sense of fulfillment. It had been a fun ride, becoming a school idol, trying to save the school, performing on the biggest stage possible. What more could she ask for, really?

“Huh? Yoshiko-chan?” Even though she had planned to spend her time on the roof alone, a part of her felt relieved that it was Yoshiko who awaited her.

Yoshiko turned from her position leaning on the railing and nodded. “You escaped too, Chika?”

A light laugh that felt far too loud on the otherwise silent roof escaped Chika’s mouth as she made her way over. “Escaped? That’s a harsh way to put it.” She leaned back next to Yoshiko. “Were Ruby-chan and Hanamaru-chan crying too much for you?”

“Of course.” Yoshiko snorted, but smiled. “But it’s what I expected from them. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed a few tears.”

“Aww, Yoshiko-chan is going to miss the school too!” Chika leaned in and nudged her, laughing again when Yoshiko just rolled her eyes.

“I’m not that sentimental of a person, at least not when it comes to a school. Saying I’m grateful to this school would be a lie. I’m grateful to the people I met in it.”

Chika nodded slowly. “I see. You won’t miss it though? The memories we made here?”

“My memories won’t vanish with Uranohoshi. I don’t think getting attached to a place is good. We all move on in life. Even if it wasn’t closing down, we would all eventually move on from it. Then what? Am I supposed to come back and visit every year? That just seems like a waste of time.” She glanced Chika’s way. “What about you? Are you gonna miss it?”

“Of course.” Chika replied with no hesitation. Leaning out over the rail, she gazed down at the courtyard. “Even if I’ve only been here for two years... I’ve made so many wonderful memories. I met all of you too! You-chan… Well, I already knew You-chan and Kanan-chan. Riko-chan, Mari-chan, Dia-san, Ruby-chan, Hanamaru-chan…” She stuck out a finger towards Yoshiko. “And of course, you too, Yoshiko-chan.”

“Even so…” Yoshiko sighed. “Well, to each their own. So, why did you escape?”

“Huh?”

The response she expected. Yoshiko waved towards the roof exit. “From You and Riko.”

“Ah… Well, I just thought I needed some time to think. Alone, you know?” Yoshiko opened her mouth and Chika quickly waved her hands to stop her. “But! I was, I don’t know, relieved to see you up here, I guess. It made me think, maybe I don’t want to be alone right now, after all.”

A hint of pink rose to Yoshiko’s cheek and she turned her gaze back out over the school. “I see.” A short silence followed, both relishing in the cool breeze that graced the rooftop. “Hey, Chika.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you… really think you found it?”

Chika tilted her head. “’It’?”

As ridiculous as it felt to say it, Yoshiko met eyes with her again. “That… shine. Do you think being a school idol changed something? Do you want to continue being one, even after Uranohoshi closes?”

“Woah, woah. There’s a lot there, Yoshiko-chan. Let’s see… I think I did. Find that shine, that is. I love being on stage, singing with all of you. It’s something I think I can do well, something that even boring old Chika can do.”

“Stop that.”

“Yoshiko-chan?”

Yoshiko glared her way, but it softened quickly. “I don’t really care if you want to present yourself that way to others. But I don’t want to hear it. If I called myself, ‘that stupid chuuni,’ you would chew me out in an instant. ‘Yoshiko-chan, even if you like all that stuff, that doesn’t change who you are! You’re not a dumb chuuni, you’re an amazing…’” She paused, gauging Chika’s reaction, but got nothing from the blank look on her face. “The point is, I don’t want to hear it. You’ve already been told that you’re wrong, right? Accept it and move on.”

That stung just a bit. Chika shrugged. “That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?”

“Not harsh enough, knowing you.”

Damn, she was really giving a grilling today. Chika practically melted into the railing as she sunk. “Yoshiko-chan is a bully…”

“If it’s bullying…” Making sure to drop her voice an octave, Yoshiko flashed her signature sign over her eye. “Then I shall be the evil for you, any day.”

“Aren’t you supposed to deny that…?”

“There is such a thing as necessary evil, Chika.”

Chika wasn’t so sure about that, but she dropped it. “Fine, fine. Anyways, about the other thing… Probably. Definitely. I want to continue being a school idol. Even if the third years aren’t with us anymore. I think we found this shine together, it’s something that won’t go away so easily. Don’t you think so?”

The traces of a smile made their way back to Yoshiko’s face. “I do. I told you before. Even if I’m not grateful to this school, I’m grateful to all of you. Especially you, Chika.” Yoshiko scooted closer until their shoulders touched. “… Chika, can you do me a favour and not say anything for a minute?”

“Eh? I mean, uh, yeah.”

Yoshiko glanced back towards the roof entrance before turning her gaze out over the school. “You’re amazing, Chika. But you’re also a complete idiot.” Chika opened her mouth to say something but settled for a half-hearted pout instead. “Most people don’t think they’re anything special. I sure don’t. I’m sure the same goes for everybody else in our group too. But,” She once again turned that glare onto Chika. “We’re not these plain, boring losers either. And yes, that ‘we’ includes you as well. I hate hearing such an amazing person like you talk down about yourself. It pisses me off. Like I said, if you want to pull that bullshit with other people, then go right ahead. But…” She grabbed Chika’s sleeve, looking right into her shocked eyes. “I want the genuine Chika.”

“Yoshiko-chan…”

“That’s… the answer to my own question.” Yoshiko said, fiddling with her sleeve. “I want to continue being a school idol. With the real Chika. If I have to look at the ‘you’ that thinks so little of Chika every day, then I’d just quit.”

Chika scratched at her face, not really sure what to say. “I, uh… thought we were… off that…”

“It’s related. Very closely.” Yoshiko straightened herself, taking a few steps away from the railing. “I hate it. How you pretend like you can’t see it. It’s like every time you do something amazing, you shove all the factors of success onto us.” Yoshiko turned and crossed her arms. “You know what, I take back what I said. I lied. It does piss me off when you present yourself like that to others. In fact, it pisses me off even more! Because I know nobody else will take it seriously when telling you how stupid you’re being! If they were, it wouldn’t have gotten like this!”

“Y-Yoshiko-chan, calm down!”

“Calm down?” Yoshiko stomped her way over to Chika until she was so close, Chika would have to fall off the roof to lean back any further. “I won’t calm down until I get through that thick head of yours! Do you really want to discount everything you’ve done? People don’t gather around losers, Chika. They gather around an amazing person who can lead them on great adventures, who can so easily drive them from their comfort zones, who can show them a world they never thought possible. That day, I was…” Yoshiko paused, settling back just a bit. “I was moved. I thought that you were amazing. The words you said, the passion you said them with. It was something new to me, something I never dreamed of experiencing.”

Chika looked towards the entrance, hoping that someone would rescue her, but there was nobody. “W-Well… It’s just, that kind of thing, you know. I…” A long sigh deflated her being. “Thank you, Yoshiko-chan. It really does mean a lot… but, it’s kind of just my problem. Maybe it―”

“Ugh. Shut up!” Chika flinched from the volume of her voice. “It’s not just ‘your problem’! If you had found me back when I was a depressed mess of shit and I said that, what would you have done!? ‘Ah, okay. Sorry, I didn’t realize it was like that.’ Bullshit! I… don’t want you to turn out like that! Like me!” Yoshiko grabbed Chika's shirt, holding it so tightly her knuckles turned white. “I had to cope with this stupid bullshit! And even then, it barely held me in place! If it wasn’t for you… for Zuramaru, Ruby… I would still be a messed up piece of shit! What if you’re not as lucky? What if there’s nobody there to pull you out? That’s why I want to stop you before you jump in!”

“Yoshiko-chan, I won’t―”

“Don’t you dare say you won’t! Of course you think you won’t! Everybody thinks they can be so strong, detached from things. They think they can stay at just the right distance, that they’ll never get sucked in. You’re not even trying Chika! You’re talking yourself down constantly! You’re so obsessed with the talents of others that you want to call yourself useless! I…” She finally loosened her grip on Chika’s shirt, taking a couple of steps back, her breaths coming in gasps from yelling so much. “I… care. If you ever do fall… I want to be there to pull you out. But… I’m not delusional. I can’t guarantee anything. If you don’t realize it yourself, then there’s no point. If you just take a moment to look in the mirror―!”

A sudden burst of motion cut her words off as Chika’s arms wrapped around her. Chika’s hand ran gently through Yoshiko’s hair, a soft “Hmmm,” escaping Chika’s lips. “I’m sorry, Yoshiko-chan. I didn’t know it was bothering you this much…” Chika sucked in a breath. “I know. I’ve always known. That what I do is stupid. Regardless of talent or lack of it. You were right, I’m an idiot. I’m an idiot who doesn’t know how to praise herself. I rely on others to the point where I feel helpless.”

“No…” Yoshiko got her hands on Chika’s shoulders and pushed her out to arm’s length. “It’s not like that at all… You’re not an idiot. And that’s what bothers me so much. If you were just an idiot, then I could accept it. But you’re… you’re aware of everything and you still let it go on. I can’t watch that. I want you to push back. I don’t want to see the Chika that refuses to fight for herself.”

Chika finally cracked a smile again. “It looks like I have someone fighting pretty hard for me.”

“But…!”

“It’s okay. I’d feel pretty bad if I said I wouldn’t do anything after hearing all of that… Besides,” Chika leaned forward, letting her forehead rest against Yoshiko’s. “It means even more since it’s coming from Yoshiko-chan.”

That tense feeling in Yoshiko’s chest finally settled. She relished the moment, being so close to her, feeling Chika’s breath tickling her face. It was more relaxed than she had felt in years.

“Idiot…”

Chika giggled. “Weren’t you the one who just said I wasn’t an idiot?”

“You’re still an idiot.” Yoshiko grabbed Chika’s hand between hers and smiled. “But, this is you. The genuine Chika… No. All of you is the real you. But you always push some part of yourself in front of the others. Just like I do with Yohane. Maybe that’s another reason it always pissed me off. It reminded me of myself.”

“Hmmm～ I don’t think you should talk like that either. Because this is the Yoshiko-chan I love so much after all.”

“E-Eh?” Yoshiko pulled back, but Chika grabbed her hand, not letting her get far away. “W-What are you talking about, Chika?” Her face was so red Chika couldn’t help but laugh. “H-Hey!”

“Heeeey! There you guys are!” They both turned to see everybody gathered at the entrance, Kanan waving them over. “You guys disappeared on us!”

Chika and Yoshiko looked between each other and both cracked laughs. “Well then, Yoshiko-chan. If I ever do fall down that hole, if I'm ever too afraid to scream for help, I hope I can count on you. Now, come on! Let's go!”

Before Chika could get far, Yoshiko pulled on her hand to stop her. “You know… the reason I worry, the reason I want to see the genuine Chika, that I want to help her…” Yoshiko took a deep breath. She almost wanted to yell it, feeling like it would be a lot easier to let her feelings out in an uncontrolled manner, but with everybody there, she wasn’t about to let that happen. So, she leaned closer and lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “Because I love that Chika.”

“Eh?” With that, she pulled away and ran towards the other, leaving a temporarily stunned Chika to stare after her.

When Yoshiko reached the group, she waved Chika over. “Oi! Hurry up, Chika! What are you just standing around for? I know the great Yohane’s presence might be so overwhelming for some, but as one of my little demons, you should be able to handle it!”  
  
Chika sighed, wondering just how many times she was going to lose against Yoshiko that day. But… Strangely, she felt fine with losing. She let out a breath that felt like it had been trapped that entire conversation and began running over.

“I’m coming, Yoshiko-chan! Everyone!”

**Author's Note:**

> If I had to name one main thing that annoyed me about Sunshine, it was that it felt like Chika's relationships with everybody weren't explored very deeply at all. I get that everybody had their friend group and it was more split by years than anything, but still. It always felt to me like Chika's relationship with most members would be rather deep. Especially characters like Yoshiko, who was so grateful to Chika for pulling her into a world with friends, where she could express herself freely, and Dia, who was grateful for Chika creating the new Aqours that she would get to be a part of and live her dream, or Ruby, who could finally stand in front of crowds and just be herself without crying or worrying, or, well, you get the point.
> 
> Despite this having that implied romance factor, I think it could work out perfectly fine, perhaps even better, as just friendship. Whether Yoshiko loves Chika in a romantic way or not (obviously not in canon), I think a conversation like this would have made me really happy to see, an exploration into their relationship and maybe how Yoshiko who, if anybody, would have seen and been frustrated by the way Chika felt about herself. The romance was just kind of an afterthought and I almost semi-regret it but also think it's fine to leave it in. And so, because I'm lazy and don't want to rewrite the ending, I will.
> 
> Anyways, that was too long even for a dumb mini rant.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed.
> 
> Till next time. Be seeing you.


End file.
